Can opener



July 3, 1928.

E. v. HOUGHTON CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 31. 1927 Patented July 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,675,807 PATENT OFFICE.

EROL V. HUUGHTON, 01' SYRACUSE, NEW "YORK.

can OPENER.

Application fll ed August 31,192'). Serial no. 216,753.

The invention relates to can openers, and has for its ob ect to provide a simple and inexpensive opening device, which may be permanently ed on the heads of fruit,

or other sealed tin cans, readyfor instant use, the said opener being arranged to lie within the usual reces or depression of the head-end of a can, and to be rotated manually for cutting out a circular section of the head offset portion, which may be inserted through V a central opening in the head, the said opening cooperating Wltll said oflset, for supporting as well as for rendering the opener rotatable during the cutting operations, the

" metal comprising the opener being sufliciently pliable to enable the longer arm or handle to be flexed or bent away from the short arm for disposing the spur inthe cutting position, the. operator being required first to depressthe handle until the spur pierces the head adjacent the bead that defines the said recess, after. whichthe handle may be bent downwardly and outwardly andfinally rotated foreifecting the circular cutout which enables the contents of thecan to be removed.

I attain these objects by the means set forth in the detailed descriptionwhich follows, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a can,:-s'howing the opener in its operative position. Fig.

2 is a similar view, showing the longer arm ot the opener disposed vertically, the first step in the opening operation. Fig. 3 is a broken central vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the cutting-spur in the act of piercing thehead of the can. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the long arm of the opener extended horizontally ready to be rotated for cutting a circular opening in the head. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the opener shown in Fig. 1.= Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken sectional view, showing the central openingthat receives the pivot-lug closed by solder. And Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the blank from which the opener is formed.

In the drawing, 2 represents the cylindrical bod ofan ordinary tin can, having :1. normal y open top-end 2, which is shown closed by a head or cap 3, the latter usually being clinched to the end 2, in a manner to form an annular head 3 that defines the usual shallow recess 3, and the head 3 preferably being formed with a relatively small central perforation 3.

My improved can opener comprises a relatively thin fiat strip of flexible metal 4, such as cold rolled steel or the like, which is ca able of cutting the relatively tough web oi the head 3, the said strip being formed at one end with reduced dull-pointed portion 4:, which isoifset, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6

and 7, and inserted through the opening- 3 for loosely interlocking the said parts. Beyond the offset end the strip 4 is sheared for providing a V-shaped cutting-s 3m 5 (see Fig. 7), after which the strip is 'olded upon itself adjacent the said spur, as best seenin Figs. 1 and 5. vides a short arm 6, which lies beneatha relatively long arm.7, and whenthe device is a plied to the head 3, both or said arms pre erably lie below the plane of the head This folding preferably pro- I 3. By this arrangement. a number ofthe cans equipped with: the attached opener may be readily and safely stacked without interference by or danger of injuring the opening device. In. practice, when the opener 4 is applied to the head 3, as shown in Fig. l, the manufacturer secures the ofiset 4, by means of a drop of solder, as 8 asbest seen in Fig. 6. The solder should be so applied so as to efi'ectuallyseal the opening 3,to prevent leaka e or spoiling of the contentsof' the can.- he can may then be handled the same as heretoforewitlioutdanger of the opener becoming accidently displaced. .VVlien the strip 4 is properly folded, the cutting- P I 5 mes extended substantially in the planeot the long arm or handle 7 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, where it remains until the cutting operation begins. To open the can 2, the first step. consists of the operator grasping the free end of the handle 7 and swinging said part upwardly, to the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, which act may be readily accomplished by the flexing of the metal in the vicinity of the bend 4. This correspondingly shifts the cutting-spur 5 from the horizontal to the vertical position,

and disposes the said spur directly over an annular depression 3 of the head adjacent the bead 3', and at a point where the head is stiffened by the proximity of said depression to the bead. \Vhen heavier gage tin is used the gage of the annular depression 3 may be reduced by the dies that form-up the head, for facilitating the cutting by the spur 5, in a well-known manner. erator next exerts sutficiently downward pressure on the handle 7, to cause the spur to pierce the head, as shown in Figs.'3, l and 6; This latter operation may be readily effected since the head 3 is usuall Y only it few thousandths of an inch in tiickness. Immediately following the piercing of the head, the operator again swings the handle 7 outwardly and downwardly, as shown in' Fig. 4. This disposes the handle substantially in the plane of the arm 6, and provides ample leverage to enable him to rotate the opener on the pivot 31, for effecting a circular cutin the path defined by the depression 3 This final operation may be greatly facilitated by the operator exerting sufficient downward pressure to maintain the frictional contact of'the handle with the bead 3'. In case the handle 7 is rotated a full turn, a circular section of the head will be severed and may be removed and discarded together with the opener, thereby enabling the contents of the can to be read ily and quickly removed. The solder 8 should be preferably relatively soft, so as to enable the offset portion 4 to break the seal and allow the opener to be freely rotated. Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is-

1. A can opener arranged to be permanently mounted upon the head of a can. comprising a strip of flexible metal folded upon itself to provide a long and a short arm, the free end of the short arm adapted to pivotally engage the central portion of the head of the can,said strip being sheared adjacent the fold for providing a cutting-' spur that projects beyond the bend adapted when the long arm is swung from the horizontal to the vertical position to pierce the head adjacent its periphery, and said long arm adapted when'bent forwardly and downwardly to be rotated for causing the said spur to cuta circular opening in the head. I i

2. A can opener permanently mounted The opupon the head of a can, comprising a strip of flexible metal folded upon itself to provide a long and a short arm, the latter having an upset portion'adapted to engage a central opening in the head, means for closing said opening and preventing detachment of the opener; said strip being sheared adjacent the fold for providing a cutting-s ur adapted when the strip is folded to pro ect beyond the bend and to lie in the plane of the long arm, said long arm adapted to be swung upwardly to enable the spur to pierce the head, and said long arm adapted to be bent forwardly and downwardly and then rotated for cutting a circular opening in said head.

A can opener afliiicd to the head of a can formed with a central perforation, comprising a strip of flexible metal bent upon itself to form a short and a long arm adapted to be disposed diametrically across the head of the can, the short arm having an upset portionadapted to pivotally engage the said perforation and having an integral cuttingspur formed adjacent the said fold adapted when the long arm is swung upwardly and subjected to downward pressure to pierce the head adjacent its peri hery, and said arm adapted to be exteni ed horizontally beyond the cam and rotated substantially in the plane of the head for enabling the spur to sever a circular section from the head.

4. A can opening device comprising a strip of. flexible metal'havin 'an offset portion at one end adapted to pivotally engage an opening in the head of a can, said strip being sheared near its middle to provide a pointed cutting-spur, the portion of said strip beyond said spur being folded towards and oi'erlying said offset to provide a handle,

EROL v. THOUGHTON, 

